Ricki Butler
@rickibutler.bsky.social
Politically homeless. Perpetually baffled.
Reposted by Ricki Butler
Yesterday morning kids were sent running from their bus stop in panic because ICE showed up. This guy at today’s ICE Out of Lindenwold protest is a must watch 😭. @maddow.bsky.social
February 14, 2026 at 2:37 AM
Yesterday morning kids were sent running from their bus stop in panic because ICE showed up. This guy at today’s ICE Out of Lindenwold protest is a must watch 😭. @maddow.bsky.social
Reposted by Ricki Butler
"If we hadn’t already, we’ve unquestionably joined the league of ordinary nations—a league in which we’re acting as little more than a bully, and in circumstances in which no obvious principle of self-defense, human rights, or even humantarianism writ large justifies our bellicosity."
Me on Maduro:
Me on Maduro:
200. Five Questions About the Maduro Arrest Operation
Friday night's U.S. military operation in Venezuela was a textbook violation of international law. It's also entirely unauthorized by U.S. law, which ought to (but probably won't) matter.
www.stevevladeck.com
January 3, 2026 at 9:32 PM
"If we hadn’t already, we’ve unquestionably joined the league of ordinary nations—a league in which we’re acting as little more than a bully, and in circumstances in which no obvious principle of self-defense, human rights, or even humantarianism writ large justifies our bellicosity."
Me on Maduro:
Me on Maduro:
Reposted by Ricki Butler
Reposted by Ricki Butler
OpenAI pirated large numbers of books and used them to train models.
OpenAI then deleted the dataset with the pirated books, and employees sent each other messages about doing so.
A lawsuit could now force the company to pay $150,000 per book, adding up to billions in damages.
OpenAI then deleted the dataset with the pirated books, and employees sent each other messages about doing so.
A lawsuit could now force the company to pay $150,000 per book, adding up to billions in damages.
November 4, 2025 at 3:30 PM
OpenAI pirated large numbers of books and used them to train models.
OpenAI then deleted the dataset with the pirated books, and employees sent each other messages about doing so.
A lawsuit could now force the company to pay $150,000 per book, adding up to billions in damages.
OpenAI then deleted the dataset with the pirated books, and employees sent each other messages about doing so.
A lawsuit could now force the company to pay $150,000 per book, adding up to billions in damages.
Reposted by Ricki Butler
Never in my life will in comprehend why the Access Hollywood tape wasn’t the end for him. Almost 10 years of being deeply embarrassed for this country every day.
August 27, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Never in my life will in comprehend why the Access Hollywood tape wasn’t the end for him. Almost 10 years of being deeply embarrassed for this country every day.
26!
July 31, 2025 at 3:33 AM
26!
Reposted by Ricki Butler
The oil industry buys off Congress. No action on climate.
The NRA buys off Congress. No action on guns.
Insurance companies buy off Congress. No action on health care.
The list goes on and on.
Money in politics is the root of our dysfunction.
The NRA buys off Congress. No action on guns.
Insurance companies buy off Congress. No action on health care.
The list goes on and on.
Money in politics is the root of our dysfunction.
July 24, 2025 at 4:01 PM
The oil industry buys off Congress. No action on climate.
The NRA buys off Congress. No action on guns.
Insurance companies buy off Congress. No action on health care.
The list goes on and on.
Money in politics is the root of our dysfunction.
The NRA buys off Congress. No action on guns.
Insurance companies buy off Congress. No action on health care.
The list goes on and on.
Money in politics is the root of our dysfunction.
Reposted by Ricki Butler
“I Watched It Happen in Hungary. Now It’s Happening Here. After years watching Hungary suffocate under the weight of its democratic collapse…the real danger of a strongman isn’t his tactics; it’s how others, especially those with power, justify their acquiescence.” www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/o...
Opinion | I Watched It Happen in Hungary. Now It’s Happening Here.
www.nytimes.com
July 23, 2025 at 3:21 PM
“I Watched It Happen in Hungary. Now It’s Happening Here. After years watching Hungary suffocate under the weight of its democratic collapse…the real danger of a strongman isn’t his tactics; it’s how others, especially those with power, justify their acquiescence.” www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/o...
Reposted by Ricki Butler
The thing about the Epstein disgustingness that strikes me hardest is that hundreds of rich old men raped underage girls and the only person currently in jail for that vile behavior is a woman.
July 16, 2025 at 7:17 PM
The thing about the Epstein disgustingness that strikes me hardest is that hundreds of rich old men raped underage girls and the only person currently in jail for that vile behavior is a woman.
Reposted by Ricki Butler
To our friends & allies across the globe who today stood in solidarity with those of us in the US who are angry, scared, & mortified: thank you for your grace, your light, & your empathy. Thank you for your support of those of us who aren't in the cult. We see you & are grateful.
June 15, 2025 at 12:13 AM
To our friends & allies across the globe who today stood in solidarity with those of us in the US who are angry, scared, & mortified: thank you for your grace, your light, & your empathy. Thank you for your support of those of us who aren't in the cult. We see you & are grateful.
Nice to see a glimmer of courage
“Willkie’s longest-serving lawyer, Joseph T. Baio, resigned …
“In an email to the firm’s executive committee, Mr. Baio wrote that he had left so he could ‘join the fight against governmental tyranny, unconstitutional decrees and social injustice, particularly at this critical time.’”
“In an email to the firm’s executive committee, Mr. Baio wrote that he had left so he could ‘join the fight against governmental tyranny, unconstitutional decrees and social injustice, particularly at this critical time.’”
How Trump Is Putting Law Firms in a No-Win Situation
As Willkie Farr & Gallagher learned, cutting a deal with the White House can avert a financially punitive executive order. But doing so can draw internal rebukes and external criticism.
www.nytimes.com
April 10, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Nice to see a glimmer of courage
Reposted by Ricki Butler
In just two months, DOGE has —lost— the government an estimated half a trillion dollars. I propose that Musk pay it back personally.
This continues to be the biggest story in the country: DOGE has already squandered half a trillion dollars in 6 weeks. Not billion. half a trillion, $500 billion talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/irs-p...
IRS Predicts DOGE Lost Half a Trillion Dollars for the USA
The Post reports today that the IRS’ internal projections estimate that the...
talkingpointsmemo.com
April 7, 2025 at 1:24 AM
In just two months, DOGE has —lost— the government an estimated half a trillion dollars. I propose that Musk pay it back personally.
Reposted by Ricki Butler
Everyone wants there to be a grand scheme behind all of this but the terrible truth is that extremely stupid people are in charge and they have a fanatical devotion to wrong, childlike concepts of society and economics cooked up by right wing radio hosts in order to sell tainted dietary supplements
April 3, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Everyone wants there to be a grand scheme behind all of this but the terrible truth is that extremely stupid people are in charge and they have a fanatical devotion to wrong, childlike concepts of society and economics cooked up by right wing radio hosts in order to sell tainted dietary supplements
Horrific.
Reasonable to ask if we are now oppressing the Russian opposition at Putin’s behest.
theins.press/en/news/280037
theins.press/en/news/280037
Russian scientist from Harvard Medical School detained in U.S., faces deportation and likely arrest upon return due to anti-war stance
A Russian scientist working at Harvard Medical School has been detained in the United States and placed in immigration detention. According to multiple independent Russian media outlets and the scient...
theins.press
March 28, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Horrific.
Free speech!
Musk says the administration is going to “go after” people pushing lies about Tesla
March 28, 2025 at 2:19 AM
Free speech!
Reposted by Ricki Butler
A *ruckus*? What's next, revoking a student's visa for causing a brouhaha? a hullabaloo? an unauthorized hubbub?
Marco Rubio on Rumeysa Ozturk: "We revoked her visa ... once you've lost your visa, you're no longer legally in the United States ... if you come into the US as a visitor and create a ruckus for us, we don't want it. We don't want it in our country. Go back and do it in your country."
March 27, 2025 at 10:03 PM
A *ruckus*? What's next, revoking a student's visa for causing a brouhaha? a hullabaloo? an unauthorized hubbub?
Reposted by Ricki Butler
Please don’t share this picture. Apparently the president hates it.
March 24, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Please don’t share this picture. Apparently the president hates it.
Reposted by Ricki Butler
New Ad: The markets are as unstable as Trump is.
March 11, 2025 at 12:33 AM
New Ad: The markets are as unstable as Trump is.
Reposted by Ricki Butler
Yes. People who don’t want to do anything, constantly critiquing the actions of folks who are doing something.
Sit in silence, then. Stop annoying us. We’re busy.
Sit in silence, then. Stop annoying us. We’re busy.
The way that pessimism is used as a preventive to every collective action is unhealthy
February 28, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Yes. People who don’t want to do anything, constantly critiquing the actions of folks who are doing something.
Sit in silence, then. Stop annoying us. We’re busy.
Sit in silence, then. Stop annoying us. We’re busy.
His brain is SO broken
Complete batshit lunacy on the president's Truth Social account. Yes, he really posted this.
February 26, 2025 at 6:47 PM
His brain is SO broken
Reposted by Ricki Butler
Reposted by Ricki Butler
If the legitimate press just permanently stopped attending these events and were replaced by propaganda outlets, that would be both optically clarifying and improve actual journalism.
Consider the possibility that the Trump White House WANTS this fight. Wants journalists to act like opponents instead of observers. If the entire press pool skipped a Trump photo op in solidarity with The AP, wouldn't the White House welcome Breitbart and One America News to take their places?
And, are you or your colleagues boycotting covering the WH as a protest?
February 15, 2025 at 12:20 AM
If the legitimate press just permanently stopped attending these events and were replaced by propaganda outlets, that would be both optically clarifying and improve actual journalism.
Reposted by Ricki Butler
Max Fisher: "Wielding the power of the state to intimidate news agencies against reporting on the government's illegal abuses of power is literal authoritarianism. I'm not speaking figuratively, I'm not calling it a warning sign. It's authoritarianism. It's here."
February 7, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Max Fisher: "Wielding the power of the state to intimidate news agencies against reporting on the government's illegal abuses of power is literal authoritarianism. I'm not speaking figuratively, I'm not calling it a warning sign. It's authoritarianism. It's here."
Reposted by Ricki Butler
🚨 BREAKING: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says he’s going to rename Lake Michigan to “Lake Illinois.”
EPIC TRUMP TROLL!!! 🤣
EPIC TRUMP TROLL!!! 🤣
February 7, 2025 at 8:02 PM
🚨 BREAKING: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says he’s going to rename Lake Michigan to “Lake Illinois.”
EPIC TRUMP TROLL!!! 🤣
EPIC TRUMP TROLL!!! 🤣
Reposted by Ricki Butler
hey quick question does Goliath win in that story
February 2, 2025 at 6:06 PM
hey quick question does Goliath win in that story